World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year globally, under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO). This special day is dedicated to raising awareness about various health issues prevalent in the society. The day also marks the anniversary of WHO's founding in 1948 and serves as an opportunity to focus on urgent health issues affecting people across the world.
Every year, WHO picks new and unique themes to address immediate health challenges faced by human civilisation as a whole. Read on as we explain what is the theme of World Health Day in 2024, its importance, and potential impact on global health dynamics.
The Significance of April 7: World Health Day
On 7 April 1948, the United Nations (UN) established the World Health Organization (WHO), one of its eleven official global health campaigns. Since then, the organisation has observed April 7 as World Health Day every year.
World Health Day commemorates the foundation of WHO, one of the most renowned global health organisations. However, the primary objective of observing this special occasion is to raise awareness about various health issues and mobilise support to address them globally.
Every year, governments, communities, and health organisations worldwide come together to observe World Health Day. They organise several activities, such as awareness campaigns, health drives, and education initiatives, to inform the general public about various health issues, disorders, and mental health concerns.
What Is the Theme of World Health Day 2024?
As mentioned earlier, World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April every year. The focus or agenda for the day also changes with each passing year to address different pressing health issues, like mental health, climate change, maternal and child care, and so on.
For instance, last year's World Health Day marked the 75th anniversary of WHO, and the motto for the day was to achieve "Health for All." Similarly, in 2022, the slogan was "Our Planet, Our Health", with a focus on addressing the impact of climate change on health.
For April 7, 2024, World Health Day's theme was "My Health, My Right." This year's celebration aims to reiterate that access to proper healthcare services shouldn't be a privilege but a right for every citizen on the planet.
Why Is World Health Day 2024 Important?
In 2024, World Health Day aims to call for action to uphold the right to health for every person on the planet. Here's the detailed breakdown of objectives WHO plans to achieve through World Health Daya celebration this year:
1. Address Government Inaction
According to the WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All, around 140 countries consider health a human right and have included it in their constitutions. However, the council believes that these countries haven't passed laws or implemented policies that ensure their population gets access to healthcare.
It also revealed that, due to government inaction, around 4.5 billion people, or more than half of the global population, did not have access to essential health services in 2021.
2. Highlight Increasing Deaths Due to Poor Health
WHO wants people and authorities to understand the correlation between diseases, disabilities, and deaths. It believes diseases and disasters are increasingly becoming primary causes of disability and death. Ensuring access to healthcare to the public will help countries address adverse outcomes like high mortality rates and improve overall health equity.
3. Prevent Air Pollution
This year, the focus is also on raising awareness about the adverse effects of climate crises, especially air pollution, on health. WHO stated that burning fossil fuels is the biggest cause of indoor and outdoor air pollution, causing a death every five seconds.
WHO wants to encourage governments and people to shift to cleaner fuels by addressing this issue. The organisation believes this step is essential to safeguard people’s right to breathe clean air.
4. Physical and Psychological Impact of Wars
WHO also wants world leaders to understand the impact of conflicts on the affected region's population. It intends to highlight how wars are destroying lives and causing hunger, pain, and death.
It also wants leaders to recognise the psychological distress and other mental health-related issues wars cause among victims. The aim is to initiate peace actions in areas affected by violence and prevent future conflicts by fostering healthier and more resilient societies.
To address all these challenges, 'My Health, My Right' has been selected as the theme for World Health Day 2024. In the memo published on its website, WHO said that –
"This year's theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere, to have access to quality health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination."
Final Words
Every year on 7 April, the World Health Day celebration provides everyone with an opportunity to reflect on the health challenges they face as a civilisation. It also mobilises communities and governments worldwide to unite and find solutions to these challenges. WHO spearheads this behemoth task, ensuring people get access to the healthcare services they deserve.
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29 May 2024
5 mins read
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